Crab - brown meat looks grey
Yesterday I cooked two brown crabs for dinner. Both were alive and kicking immediately before I cooked them. They weighed 700g each and I boiled them for 19 minutes. The white meat in both was perfectly cooked. When we broke in to the main shell, the brown meat in one was perfect - the slightly rusty brown colour that you expect, and taste great. The meat in the other crab, however, was grey-brown, mushy and very unappetising. Though it didn't smell any different, we didn't try any as we were unsure whether we would get ill.
Is this crab meat normal and safe? If not, is there something in the cooking or storage process that could have prevented it?
Best Answer
Did the shell on the grey-brown one seem heavier or look weathered? I have had this more with local caught when I was on the coast than commercial crabs, but, I have had occur something which sounds like what you are describing. When a crab is ready to change its shell, before it loses the old one it will build up a large amount of chemicals in its body for the new shell. My experience with this was no noticeable smell, but he meet was off color, soft, and very bad tasting. I have had this occur in the US with both Dungeness and Rock crabs.
If that was it, the crab would not have hurt you, but also was not something you likely would have wanted to eat. Sadly, there is little way to know ahead of time that you hit the change of shell. It usually does not seem to occur with commercial crabs as the big schools seem to mostly change shells together and outside of normal harvest. I used to fish for rocks though, and they were all over the place, so I was constantly tapping shells and tossing back what others thought looked like good crabs because I thought they were at that stage and did not want to waste one. The heavy/old shell is not always a solid give-away, but at least it is a hint.
Crab is something that is very easy for a person to react to, so to me it is always best to practice, when in doubt, throw it out. Sad to waste but better than getting sick, regardless of if the crab was turning or was just in an unlucky wrong cycle.
Pictures about "Crab - brown meat looks grey"
Is crab meat supposed to be grey?
APPEARANCE Crab meat should have a heavy, off-white cream color. Any crab meat with grey or blue hues should be avoided. SMELL Crab meat should exude a briny, sea water aroma.Why is my crab meat grey?
You are describing classic under-cooking. There is an enzyme in crab blood that turns blue/black soon after being cooked if not at a full boil long enough, first in body meat and will follow veins down into leg meat. Not harmful but not very appetizing to look at.How can you tell if crab meat is spoiled?
It should have a slight sweet smell if the meat smells sour, fishy, or stinky when it is fresh. You can also feel the meat with your hands. If it's mushy or slimy, it's probably spoiled. It should be soft and bouncy.Why is my crab meat brown?
Brown meat is from the body of the crab. It has a higher natural fat content, but is also extremely high in Omega-3.How to cook and pick a Brown Crab
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